Bridging the Gap between Extensive Reading and Literature
SHIRAKAWA, Taikyoku
Kinki University
[email protected]
Shirakawa, T. (2012). Bridging the gap between Extensive Reading and Literature. (2012).  Extensive
.
Reading World Congress
Proceedings, 1, 86-89.
This paper is one of four presentations that made up a colloquium held at the ERF World Congress entitled Bridging
the Gap between Extensive Reading and Intensive Reading. The aim of the colloquium was to try to consider how to
answer the two fundamental questions: "Why Intensive Reading?" and "Why Extensive Reading?" All the presenters
are currently teaching at Kinki University and sharing some experience of teaching, which makes it easier to
uniformly assess the different approaches to college students, though, of course, it is not easy to get clear answers to
the questions mentioned above. This paper will look at the relationship between the original text and the ER version,
identifying how the two texts differ, and then give some suggestions as to how to leverage these differences to
increase student interest
It is no exaggeration to say that even if a single word
so, the instructor would expand the scope of the ER
in a literary work is changed, the work loses a certain
program and thereby increase its potential value.
literary value and the meaning the writer intended
say, when it comes to the texts for Extensive Readers
Examples of techniques to convert original
texts to ER texts
(ER), we should not make a fuss about such a loss or
To begin, here are some examples of the techniques
distortion, because the purpose of ER is neither to
to which instructors may call to the reader’s attention.
establish literary value nor to appreciate literary taste.
For these examples, I will use Mark Twain’s The
This is in no way a criticism of changes made
Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (marked
by the rewriter, much less to complain about the
as OR) and the Penguin Level 3 reader version (marked
differences between ER texts and original ones.
as ER) to illustrate these examples.
Rat her, t he suggest ion is of fered t hat readers
Addition of Episodes
to convey is at least somewhat distorted. Needless to
subsequently take advantage of the opportunity to
In a text adapted for ER, episodes or comments
take an interest in the original story and thereby
are sometimes added to the original story so that
appreciate its original literary taste. For beginners to
readers can understand a situation or see a character
do that, they need instructors who are, to some extent,
more clearly. Following is an example of addition of
familiar with the specified literary works and who can
information to an ER text. The highlighted phrases are
suggest the significance of the original text, pointing
not found in the original text:
out differences between the ER text and the original.
I found Simon Wheeler in Angel’s Bar in
Quite a few literary works have been rewritten
Calaveras, in the north of California, sitting in his
into ER texts. When a writer rewrites an original story
favorite chair close to the door. He was asleep, so I
into a text for ER, he/she uses various techniques so
had a good look at him. He was a fat old man with
that readers can understand the story more easily;
no hair on his head but a big white mustache under
addition, simplification, abbreviation or change of the
his nose. He had a simple, kind look on his face. (ER)
episodes in the story, or replacement of vocabulary by
(p. 1, emphasis mine)
simpler words or phrases. Although instructors need
T he i n for mat ion i s ver y u s ef u l to ma ke c lea r
not point out every technique used, it is not too much
where Calaveras County is located, as well as the
to ask them show to the readers why the difference
thoughtfulness of the observer and the appearance of
between the two texts was necessary and then let
Simon Wheeler. Instructors could easily point out that
them know a little about the original story. It would be
such information is not included in the original text.
an additional benefit of any ER program if the readers
Although the first two changes may add to the
were aware of these differences and then were to
(ER) reader’s understanding of the story, the phrase
become more interested in the original text. In doing
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"a big white mustache under his nose", on the other
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SHIRAKAWA—Bridging the Gap between Extensive Reading and Literature
hand, distorts the readers’ imagination of old Simon.
dog jest [sic] by the j’int [sic] of his hind leg and
This is most likely not the image that Mark Twain
freeze to it―not chaw, you understand, but only
wanted to express.
just grip and hang on till they throwed [sic] up the
Simplification of episodes
sponge, if it was a year. (OR) (p. 19)
The dog had never been beaten until he fought with
Let us compare these two passages:
He never smiled, he never frowned, he never
a dog which had no hind legs. In the ER text, the
changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key
episode is significantly abbreviated, even though
to which he tuned his initial sentence, he never
the very episode embodies the essence of a typical
betrayed the slightest suspicion of enthusiasm; but all
American tall-tale. The ER readers who are interested
through the interminable narrative there ran a vein of
in the animals should subsequently read the episodes
impressive earnestness and sincerity, which showed
in the original text. The kind of abbreviation used in
me plainly that, so far from his imagining that there
the ER text significantly reduces the humor found in
was anything ridiculous or funny about his story, he
the original.
A second example of abbreviat ion follows.
regarded it as a really important matter, and admired
Compare the following two quotations.
its two heroes as men of transcendent genius in finesse.
(OR) (p.17, emphasis mine)
… he was the curiousest [sic] man about always
Simon Wheeler smiled, stood up, and took me to
betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if
he could get anybody to bet on the other side; and
a table in the corner. His chair now blocked the
if he couldn’t he’d change sides. . . . If there was a
path to the door. I sat and listened silently. No
horse-race, you’d find him flush or you’d find him
one, I soon realized, could stop Simon Wheeler in
busted at the end of it; if there was a dog-fight,
the middle of a good story. He never changed his
he’d bet on it; if there was a cat-fight, he’d bet on
voice as he moved smoothly from one sentence to
it; if there was a chicken-fight, he’d bet on it; why,
the next. Did he think the story was serious or funny?
if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would
He gave his listener no sign. This was his story. You
bet you which one would fly first; (OR) (p. 18)
can decide for yourself. (ER) (p. 1, emphasis mine)
He was a hard worker and a good talker, but there
As one can see at a glance, the way Simon told Jim’s
was something special about him, too. Jim Smiley
story is greatly simplified in the ER text. Because of
liked to bet. He was always looking for someone
this simplification, the readers can easily understand
to bet against. He liked to bet on everything: on
Simon’s determination in telling his story. On the
the weather, on business, and on all kinds of fights
contrary, in the original text, Simon’s way of telling
and races. (ER) (pp. 1-2)
the story is described in detail, so that we can fully
understand how earnestly and seriously old Simon
In the ER text, some episodes about what Jim
told the story to the narrator. Moreover, we can also
bet on and how he bet are abbreviated. Although
understand old Simon’s character; he is impossible to
the abbreviations help the readers catch a rough
hate. Certain simplification may lead to too superficial
portrait of Jim, they prevent them from gaining a full
a reading.
understanding of Jim’s character. The original text
Abbreviation of episodes
shows how crazy he was about gambling and how he
Next, let us look at two examples of abbreviation. The
was such a hopeless and incurable gambler.
original story, has episodes about the horse and the
Change of episodes
dog that Jim had are abbreviated in the ER text. The
Following is an example of a change of an episode,
episodes in the original text tell us how strange and
a change which makes a difference to the readers’
funny the animals were. The episode about how they
interpretations of a character. Each of the following
beat their opponents and win much money for Jim is
quotations is the opening passage of the story. In both
told with much humor. (See OR. pp. 19-20, ER. p. 2)
of the passages, the narrator explains the reason he
Jim’s dog had a special skill for fighting as follows.
called on Jim Smiley.
. . .and the bets being doubled and doubled on the
In compliance with the request of a friend of
other side all the time, till the money was all up;
mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on
and then all of a sudden he would grab that other
good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and
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inquired after my friend’s friend, Leonidas W.
Look at the quotation.
Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append
Parson Walker’s wife laid very sick once, for a
the result. I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas
good while, and it seemed as if they warn’t [sic]
W. Smiley is a myth; that my friend never knew such
going to save her; but one morning he come in,
a personage; and that he only conjectured that if I
and Smiley up and asked him how she was, and he
asked old Wheeler about him, it would remind him of
said she was considerable better―thank the Lord
his infamous Jim Smiley, and he would go to work
for his inf’nite [sic] mercy―and coming on so
and bore me to death with some exasperating
smart that with the blessing of Prov’dence [sic]
reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it
she’d get well yet; and Smiley, before he thought,
should be useless to me. If that was the design, it
says, ‘Well, I’ll resk [sic] two-and-a-half she don’t
succeeded. (OR) (p. 17, emphasis mine)
[sic] anyway.’ (OR) (p. 18, emphasis mine)
While I was visiting the west coast of this great
His boss’s wife had a terrible illness. She was sick
country, an old friend wrote a letter to me. He
for a long time. Then, one morning, the boss came
made an interesting suggestion: "You should visit
to work with good news.
old Simon Wheeler. Ask him about Leonidas W.
"How’s your wife today?" one man asked.
Smiley. Wheeler won’t know Leonidas―he doesn’t
"She’s much better today, thank you," answered
exist. But when you say the name, he’ll remember Jim
the boss. "I hope she’ll be well by the end of this
Smiley. Wheeler’s got some funny stories about Jim."
week."
(ER) (p. 1, emphasis mine)
Without thinking, Smiley said, "I’ll bet five
In the ER text, before the narrator visited old Simon
dollars she’s dead by Saturday." That’s how he
Wheeler, his friend had told him that Leonidas Smiley
was. (ER) (p. 2, emphasis mine)
no longer existed. This indicates that the narrator
In the original story, the woman who was seriously
visited old Simon not to ask for the information of
sick in bed is not the wife of Jim’s boss, but of a
Leonidas, but to listen to "some funny stories about
preacher. The original episode shows that Jim was so
Jim" told by Simon.
impious that he even bets on the preacher’s sick wife.
I n t he or ig i na l stor y, on t he cont ra r y, t he
Furthermore, in the original text, it is Jim himself who
narrator’s friend never said that Leonidas was a
asks the condition of the patient. This indicates that
fictitious person. That is to say, when the narrator
Jim is not anxious about Parson Walker’s wife at all.
called on old Simon, he believed that Leonidas was a
He just is concerned about the thing he is betting on.
real person and asked Simon about Leonidas as he was
He is truly a hopeless and gambler. This important
requested to do. But, after the narrator left old Simon
image of Jim does not come across as clearly in the ER
and thought back on the story later, he knew that his
text, and thereby diminishes the literary value of the
friend had played a joke on him. In other words, the
work.
narrator called on Simon not out of mere curiosity,
Let us look at one more example of a change of
but out of friendship and kindness. Nevertheless,
episode. As the title of the original suggests aand the
he doesn’t speak badly about his friend’s trick, but
ER version directly states, Jim had a frog which is very
actually admires the fact that he witnessed it. The
good at jumping, and is proud of it. One day at a bar,
change makes a great difference in the interpretation
Jim met a stranger who said he would bet Jim if he
of the narrator’s character
had a frotwhereupon Jim went all the way to the river
Instructors should also point out that the direct
to catch another frog for the stranger, keeping him
speech as seen in the ER text is not used in the original
waiting in the bar. While Jim was away, the stranger
text, and have the students consider why direct speech
poured something into the mouth of Jim’s frog. In the
is used in the ER text. In this case, it can be said that
ER text, the material is sand while in the original text,
the direct speech is useful to simplify the story, but it
the material is not sand, but quail-shot. Made of lead,
may diminish a wider interpretation of the story or of
quail-shot is much heavier than sand. If readers know
the characters.
it is lead shot, they can easily imagine how heavy Jim’s
Moreover, we must focus on two important and
frog is. Above all, most readers will wonder why the
controversial changes of episodes seen in the ER text.
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stranger was carrying around sand, and how could he
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SHIRAKAWA—Bridging the Gap between Extensive Reading and Literature
have obtained the sand while he sat in the bar waiting
for Jim? Again, we see a diminishment of the original
story as presented in the ER text.
Conclusion
As has been mentioned, an instructor who is familiar
with a literary work could pick up key words as well
as key episodes in the ER text, stimulate students to
consult the original text to locate the equivalent, and
then help them to compare one with the other. Such an
activity will lead them to gain a better understanding
of the story, and to better enjoy the original. The
elements of fiction are character, plot, settings, point
of view, and meaning. If a student is interested in any
of the elements when he/she reads a story retold for
ER, instructors should introduce the original text to
the student, and accurately and properly point out the
difference between the ER text and the original text. If
this is done, one can expect a student to be spurred on
by reading a retold story, and eventually will also be
interested in the original text. This certainly would be
another benefit of the use of Extensive Readers.
References
Twain, M. (1988). The Notorious Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County [Pronounced Cal-e-va-ras]. In
The Writings of Mark Twain, Vol. VII. Tokyo: Hon-noTomo.
Twain, M. (retold by Taylor, N.) (2008). Jim Smiley and
His Jumping Frog and Other Stories [Penguin Readers
Level 3]. Harlow, Essex: Pearson.
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